chicago_shearer

God I love the man.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article6024794.ece

 

Sense of a fresh dawn as Alan Shearer has immediate effect

Something stirs on Tyneside as presence of new manager on the touchline makes sullen players chase every ball with enthusiasm

George Caulkin

 

With legs slightly apart, index finger resting on his cheek and the letters AS emblazoned on his white sweatshirt - smart work by the club's official embroiderer - Alan Shearer stood on the touchline of Newcastle United's training pitch. He has a piercing, unforgiving stare, but if looks can thrill, then they certainly did; in front of him, sullen footballers looked invigorated, chasing every ball, every tackle.

 

He has that effect, does Shearer. He did as a player - the demands for excellence, the rousing presence in the dressing-room, the refusal to let standards slip - and he will do so now. If there is less dewy-eyed romanticism about his arrival than there was for Kevin Keegan, it is because Shearer's personality is different; even his emotional decisions are calculated. “I wouldn't be here if I thought there wasn't enough ability in that squad,” he said.

 

In a city forged from heavy industry, a region based on effort and football, Shearer stirs something. His presence alone has ensured that St James' Park will be crammed to capacity tomorrow against Chelsea - on Wednesday, before his appointment was confirmed, the ticket office had fielded 5,000 telephone calls - and a club who had been infiltrated by defeat are reborn.

 

But he has more than a steely glare and statements of the obvious. Away from the cameras, he possesses wry humour and a quick mind. He knows Newcastle and he knows players. During his first training session yesterday morning, he did not gravitate towards his former team-mates and good friends; Michael Owen, Nicky Butt and Steve Harper were not granted special privileges.

 

Instead, there was an arm around the shoulder and words of encouragement for Xisco, the Spanish forward, whose transfer from Deportivo La Coruña last year prompted Kevin Keegan's departure and whose spell on Tyneside has been wretched. There were chats with Jonás Gutiérrez, whose form has dived alarmingly, and José Enrique, a left back with talent but brittle confidence. Iain Dowie, his assistant, dominated vocally; orchestrating a loud and lively session (Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood, the coaches, were involved, but more peripheral). There were dribbles around poles, sprints, possession games, an emphasis on movement, communication, high tempo, sharp passing. “You're tired, but go again,” Shearer barked in the dazzling sunshine. “Go again.” Later, he praised his new charges.

 

“The response has been fantastic, although not surprising,” Shearer said. “I came in this morning, saw all the players, spoke to them and the staff and the training was superb. They have set standards we want them to keep to. I said to them afterwards, ‘If you keep that determination up, we'll be OK.' We have a massive fight on our hands, but we'll give it a good go.”

 

Dowie elaborated. “From minute one, even in his first phone call, Alan projected a positive aura,” he said. “He knows that I'm a tracksuit manager, that I like to get involved in the coaching. We have a very open and frank relationship, which works very well. We've brought Paul Ferris on board, who is similarly minded, very bright and a trained barrister - I could have done with him a few years ago.

 

“Make no bones about it, I'm here to shape the team that Alan wants. In training, I'm very hands-on, but Alan chipped in with some very good points at crucial times. I can take away all the mundane things, the stuff which drives you mad as a manager, so Alan doesn't have to worry about that. It's very important that Alan can be single-minded about team selection and performances. There was a sense that it was a fresh dawn.”

 

There needs to be; Newcastle this season have been groping in a long, dark dusk. “I feel the pain the fans have been going through,” Shearer said. “I always enjoyed my football, but I've been watching Newcastle over the past few months and for whatever reason, they haven't been enjoying it. They came in today and had a buzz about them, smiles on their faces.”

 

AS has answered the SOS. It was a substantive start and impressive, too.

 

superb article

Caulkin is the only football journo worth reading.  Great stuff.

Just watching the national anthems in the US v. T&T game and I swear there was a bloke in the crowd with a swastika tattoo on his head.

Another question. Why would Shearer just come in for 8 games?

 

He was always banging on about wanting this job. He f***s up this 8 games, he's hardly gonna be given the chance to manage us again in the future.

You can hardly blame if we go down, but I see your point.

Maybe he is thinking less about his career and more about how totally ruinous it would be if the club went down.  Or maybe he IS thinking about his career, and would prefer to manage Newcastle in the Premier League and not after the Leeds like meltdown that I guarantee would follow relegation. 

What if they're bringing in  long term & Shearer's just to help us stay up.

I reckon Dowie is the contingency plan in case the worst happens.  Kinnear will be moved upstairs regardless (or he might leave) and Dowie will get the job if we end up in the fizzy pop.  Shearer will stay on if he keeps us up. 

England not only well on their way to qualifying, but doing it the easy way for a change. 

If this is an April Fools involving BBC News, Sky Sports and the entire international media then I totally give up on football and quite possibly lie.

i heard shearer was new toon boss and i

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jizzed in my pants

OK, so me, Rich and Skeletor all have the same avatar.

 

Hmm...

 

Everyone should have it.

IM f***ing WASTED NOW,

 

 

 

 

This is some f***ing amazi9ng news

 

 

SHEARER!!!!!!

Me too mate.  Shit day at work, argument at home, finally check the BBC.com to see what other bullshit has been happening in the world and ALAN SHEARER HAS ONLY GONE AND BEEN APPOINTED MANAGER!

Get the fuck in.

:fwap:

That fat bastard owner, trying to get the fans on his side.  Who does he think he is?  I miss the days of Shepherd and blatant hostility towards the supporters.

COME ON PEOPLE - THINGS AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE IF YOU RESPOND TO A GOOD MOVE WITH CYNICISM - GIVE AL A CHANCE!

BTW, if this is an April Fools wind up I'm going to top myself.

Shearer >>>> Obama.

Come on baby, feel the love, CHANGE HAS COME TO NEWCASTLE

Can I just say,

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

and FUCK OFF to the nay-sayers.

How he isn't our captain I will never know. 

Sirth Ifrica - fairly horrendous

http://www.footballshirtculture.com/images/stories/south-africa-2009-fifa-confederations-cup-away-football-shirt-2.jpg

 

Good god.

 

That is horrendous

Careful, the people who thought the new England kit was too boring are probably loving that.  Lots of neon and squiggly lines. 

Also, whats up with the Spanish face paint? 

Slovakia were s***, but England finally looked comfortable and confident at Wembley which is a very good sign. 

Can we possibly get some sort of good news at some point?  Maybe Steven Taylor rescuing a kitten from a tree?

llambias could quash this rumour dead tomorrow with a quick statement to the chronicle.

But that would be communication, and they don't do that.  Better just to let the rumour fester for a few months and breed a little more anger and discontent.  We could do with that really.

That kit is great actually.  If you want to buy neon, stripey plastic bin liners, fair enough. 

England kit is launched at 3pm this afternoon. Video here: http://www.umbro.com/#/?country=EN&page=process&section=video_1 about the new crest!

Would I take relegation for Kevin bloody Keegan?  Is that a joke? 

Some people still don't understand how potentially ruinous relegation could be to this club.  We still have massive debts, and most of our first team squad will leave.  And we don't have a manager. 

THERE WILL BE NO 'CLEAN SLATE'

if we go down its the amount got games we drew at home where we shud easily have won. im thinking of the 2-2 against city last minute goal, stoke last minute goal 2-2, wigan last minute goal was that 2-2 aswell? everton 0-0(f*ckin nolan!) and many more its cost us big time if we had just hung on in a few of those games we would be nowhere near the bottom 3

Those missed opportunities may be the difference between 17th and 18th, but the overall reason we are almost certainly going down is a full year of spineless incompetence from the playing staff (with very few exceptions), the selfishness of our first full time manager this season, the ineptitude of our second, and about five years of suicidal administration from the top.  A fat moron with no understanding of good finance followed by a fat moron with no understanding of football - fucking incredible. 

That is going to be my last word on the subject (if I can help it).  I'm sick of sitting around at work and worrying about relegation, I can only imagine what its like for you lads in the area.  I'm hoping for a miracle, but you don't dig a ditch this deep and expect to get out at the last minute.  I can only hope that the list of men responsible for killing this club (players, managers and owners - all plural) suffer the same fortunes in their careers that they have forced upon NUFC. 

I wouldn't wish an injury on any player, but if someone beat the shit out of his kneecaps with a 9 iron it would probably be worth at least a point on the Relegationometer.

I lost all my respect for Keegan last year, but at least he had the bright idea to change a broken team.